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I'm normally quite reserved, do not understand social/emotional creatures, insert generic INTJ DAE-feel-this-way here. But after a few pints, i.e beyond just "a bit tipsy", the change is...amazing to say the least.

Suddenly I get other people, I get how their problems are more than they're capable of clearly expressing.

I think INTJs are usually good at describing or knowing their problem, maybe not at expressing how they feel about that, but they're good at identifying the problem in the first place.
But many others just can't put a finger on why or what is causing them to feel or be a certain way. It's that that I can suddenly, easily, tell them about. It's like I've been injected with Dr Phil so to speak.

I'm not saying I'm suddenly Jesus; it's just easier (or made possible even) to do the above when I'm very much not sober.

Would that be the shadow functions at work? Reading through them, it seems they'd compliment the above. Anyone care to elucidate?

Dude, keep doing it and slowly edge back on your speed of consumption every once in a while (though I am not usually one to tell a man not to have a beer). You will be able to do it 24/7. You gotta walk the line, so to speak, and it will click. Give it time and make sure you reflect on it.

Not so sure on the types thing. Don't try to fit it in the framework and make sense of it like that. Every time I try to use it I fall on both sides of everything for different reasons. Use you inner Dr. Phil and it will make sense. Rational emotional intelligence is something we need more of in this world.

Probably not, I don't think the problems you mentioned are very relevant to being an INTJ. I seem to understand others very well. I also have absolutely no difficulty pinpointing why I feel a certain way and expressing it, sober or not. I think you're just experiencing the effects of alcohol.

I rarely drink more than enough for a buzz, but one thing I've noticed is that I do get much more relaxed as I drink. My current theory (which should clearly be validated several times....for science, of course) is that intoxication helps me to suppress my passive absorption of information which, thanks to inferior Se, tends to stress me out. This frees up my Ni to focus on a few direct things and make some fairly profound connections, if I do say so myself, because it's not nearly as taxed with making sense out of the "noise" around me.

I will note that as I've matured and developed close friendships with others, I find that in a one-on-one context when we're not out doing something which distracts me, I tend to be pretty good at understanding where people are coming from/what they're going through. Coupling that with a decent grasp of my own internal emotional makeup, and as long as I can find some sort of common ground I'm usually able to establish some sort of connection with people, even when sober.

I had like 4 drinks the other night with some friends and almost got kicked off the campus bus for shouting "This bus needs to MOVE!" too loudly. I don't know what the hell I was thinking other than "I'm going to piss in this Pepsi bottle if we don't get going soon enough..."